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The heat is on! Can Nataku not handle the onslaught of the Daisuke Duo??

I’ve been watching this anime Megalobox. It’s like this amazing throwback to 90’s anime, even including a filter to make it look like hand drawn cell animation, and I love it. The show is an easy recommend to all the old school anime fans out there (and new school fans, too, it’s just a good time in general)! It’s only 13 episodes long (currently waiting for the last one to air on tv), which makes it very easy to binge. It’s on Crunchyroll exclusively atm, I believe.

It’s the look of someone who’s just found a weakness in his enemy’s thoughts. I am almost certain if he can manage it, he’s going to give Ken the choice between killing him or saving the other last remaining Daisuke.

Jake

Psychological warfare mixed with the Saw movies and a touch of moral dilemma? Sounds like a plot point in the making

clogboy

Leave it to a seasoned, weathered, hardened Machiavellian general to turn an apparent strategic combat advantage into a weakness. I mean, it comes as natural to him as throat cutting, back stabbing, betrayal, and drawing breath. It is second nature to him. Life has given him an unfair amount of strength and intelligence, to the level where he can get away with arrogance and douchebaggery. He takes it for granted. His pride is only a weakness if you can either outmuscle or outsmart him, and neither (even both) of them can do that right now.
I theorize that the best way to defeat him is to turn his game against him, and this could be done by exposing his sins to the person who trusts him with all this power, be it grudgingly and reluctantly. (Looking for a specific page as reference, but can’t find it. It deals with where Lord Wataro pairs Nataku and Eijiro up to investigate the situation in the village, and where Eji shows his first ambition to leadership)

Arkone Axon

I love that statement. I just love it. “You murdered our families!” And it’s a pretty safe bet that Nataku didn’t exactly do it via a series of fairly conducted duels, either.

This is actually being very historically accurate – a lot of the samurai subculture was less “zen meditation and spiritual awakening” and more “invade places, kill the unarmed common folk, then brag about being badass. And then complain about being beaten by underhanded means.” (Something that Korea and the Phillipines can attest to, in multiple wars, invasions, and incidents over the centuries) This is something they shared in common with other historical warrior cultures such as the Spartans (also overly hyped), as well as fictional warrior cultures such as the Mandalorians or the Klingons.

Kenta actually reminds me of the modern Japanese – the ones who mostly reject the militarism of the past the same way that Americans mostly reject the darker aspects of our own past, or the way that Germans reject the fascism and idealogies that stained their honor.

(I say “mostly” because of course there’s always going to be a few idiots who get nostalgic for a romanticized version of the past, and also get very very loud about it because they want to be seen as representing more people than they actually are. Run a search on the name Yukio Mishima to see what I mean)

Xinef

Also, during that time honor was mostly defined as “being efficient in fulfilling orders and killing enemies” so a samurai who fights dirty, wins through ambushes, tricks and deception, or any other means necessary, would be seen as a much more honorable individual than a samurai who dies in a one on one duel.
I mean, it’s pretty certain that the lord’s orders weren’t to “play fair”, but to “win”.

Arkone Axon

Eh… depends on the samurai. Like I said, the mentality (which is not limited to any one culture by any means) is focused on feeling like a badass. If I do it, it’s fair and honorable. If you do it, it’s underhanded and cowardly.

In Robert Heinlein’s book “Time Enough For Love” there’s a scene where the protagonist invites a man and his two adult sons into his frontier home and feeds him dinner… knowing they were bad news, but giving them every chance to eat the meal and then leave peacefully. When the man draws his holdout pistol and declares his intention to rape the protagonist’s wife as dessert, he gets shot and his sons are quickly killed by the protagonist, his wife, and their dogs. The dying man then groans, “…You bastards… never gave us… a chance…” The response: “Gave you plenty of chances. You didn’t take them.”

purplelibraryguy

The odd thing is that Americans do mostly reject the darker aspects of your own past, while simultaneously supporting or remaining unaware of the exact same aspects continuing into the present. In a much smaller way we Canadians do the same thing.

Arkone Axon

A HUGE part of that is because of active efforts by the responsible parties to keep us ignorant of the truth. Chelsea Manning spent six years imprisoned and tortured under the Obama administration because she… blew the whistle regarding the civilian casualties of our drone bombings. Obama was lionized and sanctified by the mainstream media, to the point that many people remain shockingly unaware of the many horrible things that went on under his administration (I’m not talking about stupid Glenn Beck talking points like “he destroyed the America of my youth!” or similar such nonsense, I’m talking about things like… bombing civilians, bailing out the banks and letting the bank customers get screwed over multiple times after the bailout, supporting corporations at the expense of the people who were hoping for a defender against said corporations… basically, the same horrible stuff that Trump is getting rightly called out on).

Notice how, more than ever, whistleblowers are claimed to be the ultimate bad guy – the traitor, guilty of Treason with a capital T. Snitches get stitches. The one who reveals the crime is deemed worse than the one who commits the crime (there’s a lawsuit pending against Wikileaks claiming that they “interfered” in the 2016 election by… doing what the media was supposed to do and revealing the truth. I bet Woodward and Bernstein would have been bemused if Nixon had sued them over Watergate).

And yet… at the same time, social media (such as Disqus) are helping to combat that. Look at what I posted above – about Obama’s glossed over misdeeds. I’m sure a lot of people reading this comment will be indignant in their defense of our former President. But I’m also certain a fair number will take the time to run a search and confirm the truth… and thus does the truth come out, a little at a time. (I did the same thing a few years ago on a webcomic forum full of “Objectivist Christians” when I pointed out that Ayn Rand’s entire philosophy was based on her adolescent fangirl crush on convicted child murderer William Hickman. At least one person responded with utter disgust and proclaimed his respect for Rand had just dropped through the basement)

Xinef

I haven’t seen anyone claiming that whistleblowers are the bad guys, but it might have something to do with the fact I don’t follow government-controlled media. They’re sort of boring anyway. Most of the places I frequent on the internet seem to side with wistleblowers.

But yes, more and more of we the people are aware of the reality and support the whistleblowers. It’s the “mainstream media,” the corporate and government controlled outlets, that repeatedly refer to them as traitors and whatnot. Which, as I said, is why I adore modern social media. Hell, look at yesterday’s primary elections (here in the United States, I mean). We just had some INCREDIBLE upsets… look at Ocasio-Cortez’ stunning win against an opponent with the entire backing of the establishment, heavy corporate backing, and who spent literally ten times as much money on his campaign as she did. It. Was. Beautiful.

Matt Ramsey

Because everyone knows the proper way to use a bow is to jump in the air and do a few flips while firing. It helps with the aim.

Turul

I shoot a bow, can confirm this is true.

Actually I can’t do a flip but that’s the reason why I don’t shoot very well yet.

Xinef

You need to attach a laser pointer to the bow and a guiding warhead to your arrows. You’ll see major improvements!

(in the coolness factor. Not necessarily in accuracy)

Xinef

Well… Ken is in the way. She had to in order to get him (and his sword) out of the line of fire.

You know, she wouldn’t want to damage the sword accidentally.

Also, Yumiko is totally a Lars Andersen copycat! (or is this the other way around?)

You know what happens when an otherwise fairly insignificant character pops out of nowhere and starts kicking main baddie ass. Yup, she ded!
I’m still uncertain if this chapter is the endgame, or just setting up for what might be a high stakes mission to settle all things, permanently. Hope Joe/Alex are not in a hurry to finish this comic

Ocean Burning.

That lower left panel really is epic.
I would upvote this comment but I absolutely cannot because I do not want Awesome Daisuke Ninja Lady to be dead! She’s way too cool <3

Wanderer

So, is Nataku’s next move taking Yumiko hostage to see if Ken really doesn’t care about anything but revenge, taking advantage of Ken’s recklessness to separate the two and do the old divide and conquer, or is he up to something else entirely?

Whatever the case, he looks like he has a plan, which, knowing Nataku, probably means something horrible and morally repugnant is about to go down.

Yeah… I had the same thought. Why is it only the people who are fighting against you who need a sense of honor, Nataku?

PSadlon

At the moment that’s their one goal. The time to care about other stuff is after they take care of the task at hand.

clogboy

It will never be enough.
– Kills general who ordered the purge on the family.
– Kills daymio that said general worked for.
– Kills all soldiers involved, their relatives, their combat teachers and burns down the dojos they attended, as well as all other dojos and masters teaching the same warfare principles.

Achievement: contributed to disturbing the power balance, leading to chaos and anarchy. Single handedly destroyed a huge chunk of their culture and history attached to it, as well as all good future potential it might had.

It goes on.
– Takes on role as ruthless ruler with the main purpose of ruling through fear, so that no other houses might be tempted to go to war or burn down villages. Peace through oppression, the Saddam Hussein way.
– Elevates himself to God status through demonic ritual so he can maintain ‘peace’ for the next five millennia.

What’s that? Five seasons worth of spinoff material? You’re welcome

Of course the point is that you’re not really coming back from executing bloody revenge. There is no ‘after’, just a void that needs to be filled in order to be whole again, since revenge is who he has become. It would be much more fitting if his life was taken by Wataro hands, according to Wataro justice to make ammends for past sins. The real question is, would Ken ever be able to forgive Lord Wataro, who was misguided at the time.

And also DAMMIT YOU GOT ME MONOLOGUING

Xinef

Also, kill anyone who’s ever SEEN or HEARD OF the Wataro clan, so that it gets forgotten forever!

purplelibraryguy

Suicide of course being the grand finale (since he has himself heard of the Wataro clan).

Warcodered

…Well no… I mean your head would work too and probably a lung…really just any of the vital organs if I could pierce one it would just be great.

endplanets

Nataku: Bows and arrows are a cowards weapons. Hand
to hand combat is the old school way to kill your foes, it hearkens
back to the honored traditions when combatants respected one another.
Killing a man with your bare hands says: we’re all equals as men. Except
I’m slightly more equal ’cause I’m still alive and you’re dead

Ken: You burned my village to the ground.

Nataku: I mean let’s face it, there’s just not enough time in this busy world to show everybody the courtesy of a good strangling.

I think called shots are in order in the next round of combat. Though i think the hostage situation is the most plausible, the ninja would probaly pull Ken’s sword through herself to avoid the indignity being the damsel in distress. And more than likely justbto kill Nantuko. Still reading this fantastic comic though i can’t quite fit all the panels on screen since my computer’s gaphics card ate itself .

Xinef

The way I imagine it – Nataku holds Yumiko hostage and negotiates with Ken…
Yumiko takes the opportunity to stab Nataku.
And that’s how Nataku learns that holding ninja hostage can be harder than it looks.

Ocean Burning.

Great idea.

Sunwu

I used to be a clan killing villian like you, until I got an arrow to just above the knee